Rediscovering the Joy of Teaching: How Professional Learning Can Help

According to a recent survey, educators work an average of 57 hours a week and spend less than half of that time doing what they love: Teaching. 

Instead, much of that time is mired in muddy gray areas like student behavior modification, parent relations, school operations, and staffing support. Valuable lesson planning time gets eaten by manning lunch stations, watching the crosswalk, or delicately tiptoeing through sticky issues seeping into the classroom. As a result, more than 90% of educators report experiencing burnout, and more than half want to leave their profession earlier than planned.

Research offers possible explanations that can help you understand the phases a teaching career goes through and how these changes might impact overall job satisfaction. While satisfaction naturally ebbs and flows, studies offer fresh insight into teacher morale and how to prevent burnout at each career phase. What’s more, your feelings can be the yellow canary signaling significant change. 

Learn which years educators feel most motivated, the most common times when teacher burnout occurs, and how professional learning can be a lifeline when satisfaction wanes. This infographic simplifies the research so you can stay dedicated to your students and find personal inspiration for the long term.